Snacking

In the past, snacking has been disapproved of because it was thought it would ‘fill children up’ for their main meals.

In reality, eating little and often isn’t just normal behaviour; it can be beneficial for young children, particularly smaller ones who might struggle with a full sized plate of food.

Of course, what they snack on has a direct effect on their nutrition and health. Crisps, chocolates and fizzy drinks obviously don’t fall into the category of healthy snacks. But there’s no reason why snacks of fresh and dried fruit, vegetable sticks, cheese, cereal bars, yoghurts and fruit juice shouldn’t provide all the nutrients their growing bodies need.

In fact, scientific studies have shown that people who eat fewer but larger meals tend to be more overweight and have more heart disease in later life, while frequent eating can have a positive benefit on blood sugar control and blood cholesterol levels.